Valve-operating mechanism for clam-sh ell buckets



(No Model.)

T. SYMONDS.

VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GLAM SHELL BUGKETS. No. 470,020. Patented Mar. 1, 1892.,

UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn,

THOMAS SYMONDS, OF LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE-OPERATING MECHANISM FOR CLAMsSHELL BUCKETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,020, dated March 1, 1892.

Application filed April 2, 1891. Serial No. 387,350. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SYMoNDs, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Leominster, in the county of WVorcester and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve Operating Mechanism for Glam-Shell Buckets; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention comprises an improvement on Patent No. 150,372, granted to me April 28, 1874; and theobject of theinvention is to produce means by which a rotary or oscillating valve on the cylinder which operates the jaws of the dredging-bucket can be manipulated as desired from a distance.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the construction of certain details and arrangement of parts, as will be more fully described hereinafter, and specifically pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters thereon.

Likeletters indicate similar parts in the different figures of the drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a derrick, boom, and dredging apparatus with myimprovements attached. Fig. 2 is a detail diagrammatic View of the apparatus for operating the valve.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a derrick or A-frame for an ordinary dredging apparatus, to which the boom B is hinged in the usual manner on a pintle. This boom, as is well known to those skilled in the art, is sometimes of great length, so as to deposit the material as far as possible on the shore. It can be moved from side to side, as required, by the chains 7), similar to a bridle. It is supported in the usual manner by one or more brace-rods 0, connected to the upper part of the derrick A. In the center of the derrick is arrangeda strong square or equivalent shaped guide-rod D, upon which the weight E slides as the dredging-bucket is raised and lowered, and said weight serves to keep the valve-cords f taut.

The ordinary sheaves F are suspended from the cross-pieces a, secured to the derrick, and over said sheaves F the chains 12 from the drum (not shown) pass and thence over the sheaves c, suspended from the end of the boom to the cylinder H, and said chains b serve to raise and lower the dredging-bucket and its operating-cylinder. The ordinary poles (Z or guide-rods are provided for guiding and manipulating the dredging-bucket G to any desired place.

An important feature of my invention is the operating mechanism by which the rotary valve on the cylinder H is manipulated to admit and exhaust the steam or air from the cylinder. It consists of a centrally-pivoted lover or bar h,which is attached to a projecting stem h of the rotary valve, and to each end of said lever is connected acontinuous wire rope, small chain, cord, or its equivalent f, passing over the sheaves e on the boom 13', thence over the sheaves g on the derrick, around the sheaves t on the weight E, thence over the sheaves g, and finally over the sheave Z, attached by a bracket or in any other suitable manner to the derrick. The pulleys g, g, and e are double1l. 6., one is placed on each side of the framing-and the Wire rope f is arranged so that when drawn upon by the handles min one direction it will open the valve and when drawn upon in the other direction it Will close the valve. Upon the wire rope f are arranged two handles or holders on, by which said rope is manipulated, so that when drawn upon in one direction the valve is opened to admit steam or air to one end of the cylinder and when operated in the opposite direction to the other end of the cylinder, the exhaust being of course correspondingly permitted to escape, as required. I prefer to employa rotary valve,as it is much more simple in its construction and operation and manipulated with greater ease than any other valve known to me, although other kinds of valves-such as slide, piston, or othersuitable valves-may be used, if desired. The rotary valve is also very easily fitted up, not liable to get out of order, and very easily repaired. It is also much lighter and occupies less space than any other kind of valve known to me. By this very simple arrangement of cords and pulleys or sheaves great powercan be exerted on the ends of the lever 7e, and, as stated, the valve can be readily manipulated from a distance. The ordinary tubes or pipes for the steam or motive power are provided with universal joints or their equivalent, so that the pipes with their joints can aecom modate themselves to the movements of the crane and boom.

I am aware that it is broadly not new to operate a rotary valve from a distance, such as are employed in operating the valves of hydrants and plugs, hydraulic motors, cranes and derricks, as well as dredgers with clamshell buckets, and disclaim the construction therein shown; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The means herein described for operating a rotary valve on a steam or air cylinder Whose piston-rod is connected bya cross-head and links or levers to the clam-shell parts of the bucket, said means consisting of a pivoted lever h, the wire rope f, passing over sheaves e c, g g, 0' i, g g, and Z, and the handles in m, arranged substantially as shown, and all as specified.

2. In combination with a clam-shell dredging-bucket and a cylinder having a rotary valve and a derrick, the rod D,the weight E, sliding thereon, and the wire rope f, passing over the double sheaves g, g, and c, all constructed and arranged as shown and specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS SYMONDS.

\Vitnesses:

GEORGE 0. FORM, THEo. C. BRECHT. 

